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Review: Dogfish Head Brown Honey

Upon spying Dogfish Head Brown Honey Rum on the shelf, my mind was aflutter with thoughts. First was the bottle – namely that I’d never seen it before. Next I observed that it had a waxed cork and hand-dated label with a batch and bottle number – all good signs. And last I noticed the stuff is made in Delaware (hooray for another continental U.S. rum distillery – we need more!)

Dogfish Head boasts being twice distilled, hand crafted, settled in American Oak, and mixed with Wildflower Honey. It’s this last feature that truly stands out – both in theory, and certainly in taste. To the nose, honey is definitely the over-riding quality, with the more common smells of a golden rum hidden beneath. On the tongue the standard rum characteristics are more dominant, although somewhat smoothed over – it tastes sharp but feels gentle, especially as it goes down the throat.

Dogfish Head Brown Honey Rum is a surprisingly approachable drink. It still has kick, but it’s more of a playful kick than a round-house to the skull. The honey makes it both sweeter and remarkably smooth. I don’t know that I’d recommend it for the seasoned rum drinker, but it could be a wonderful gateway rum for the newbie.